The present invention relates to the field of information technology, including, more particularly, to systems and techniques for securing communications in a cloud computing environment.
One serious obstacle to widespread adoption of the public cloud is the need for end-to-end security measures. In public cloud datacenters and many managed private cloud datacenters, the cyber security attack surface is migrating from the conventional enterprise perimeter firewall on premise to the endpoint computers (or virtual machines (VMs)) in the cloud. The endpoint computer is not only performing the necessary computing functionality, it is also at the forefront of the virtual corporate network boundary with the cloud. Security controls for applications, computing and networking are converging onto the endpoint as the next-generation attack surface. Endpoint security requirements, along with the necessary technology to fulfill such requirements, are becoming essential.
However, users are currently being faced with unsecured endpoints. Furthermore, hybrid networks can be compromised through root passwords on less-secure endpoint cloud resources as compared to a private network. This can cause a data leak through a breached network.
A cloud environment can be much more vulnerable to attack as compared to a traditional on premise private network of an enterprise. In the event a malicious actor is able to gain access to an unsecured cloud endpoint, the actor has many options for infiltrating and penetrating other cloud endpoints.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for better cloud computing security to protect against attacks and reduce network vulnerability.